Titusville FL (SPX) May 13, 2021
The U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Test Program Satellite - 6 space vehicle arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, on May 6, 2021. STPSat-6 is the primary space vehicle on the Space Test Program - 3 mission, and was safely transported by Northrop Grumman from their facility in Dulles, Virginia where STPSat-6 was built and tested. STPSat-6 is on s

Washington DC (AFNS) May 13, 2021
Cost, performance and delivery drive acquisition across the Defense Department, typically in equal measure. But the Space Development Agency has prioritized delivery above all else in its effort to get satellites into space that will deliver non-line-of-sight targeting to warfighters across the globe. "The key thing is always to focus on getting these capabilities up and operational as rap

Los Angeles AFB CA (AFNS) May 13, 2021
The United States Space Force's Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO-5 satellite was encapsulated on April 30 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) Florida. The satellite's encapsulation within the United Launch Alliance's payload fairing represents completion of the final major testing milestone before launch, as well as a key protective measure for the satellite in preparation

ESA is forging ahead with advanced developments in two flagship space transportation demonstration projects, Prometheus and Phoebus. This will benefit Europe’s new Ariane 6 launcher in the near-term, and prepare for a new generation of European launch vehicles in the next decade.

HELSINKI — China is set to launch the Tianzhou-2 space station cargo mission this week after rollout of a Long March 7 rocket at Wenchang spaceport.

WASHINGTON — Parsons Corp. announced May 17 it has won a $185 million U.S. Space Force contract for information technology and engineering services.  

The contract is from the Space and Missile Systems Center Special Programs Directorate in Los Angeles, California, that oversees classified projects such as space surveillance sensors and systems to defend satellites.

• First Solar Orbiter movies showing coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
• A pair of CMEs were detected by multiple instruments during February’s close flyby of the Sun
• CMEs are eruptions of particles from the solar atmosphere that blast out into the Solar System and have the potential to trigger space weather at Earth
• Solar Orbiter will begin its main science mission in November this year
• Solar Orbiter is a space mission of international collaboration between ESA and NASA

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force plans to spend billions of dollars over the next decade to convert huge amounts of data that resides in separate systems into a digital enterprise architecture.

WASHINGTON — Small launch startup ABL Space Systems announced May 17 it was selected by the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit to launch a military payload. 

Based in El Segundo, California, ABL is developing the RS1 small launch vehicle designed to deliver up to 1,350 kilograms into low Earth orbit.